Riles Laan sa Sambayanan (RILES) Network called the two-day public consultations as mere PR activities by the Aquino administration and a charade holding the audience, the riding public, hostage to Aquino’s irreversible plan to privatize the MRT.

“We attended both public consultations and we observed the callousness of Malacanang to push through with the fare hike and privatization by hook or by crook,” said Sammy Malunes, spokesperson of RILES Network.

“Whatever we say always fall on deaf ears. They cannot comprehend that the fare hike is totally anti-people. The poor sectors of society, comprising the majority of the MRT and LRT riding public, have pleaded since last year for Malacanang to have compassion over the sorry plight of the poor. It seems that compassion for the poor is the least on their considerations.”

Malunes also said that Malacanang has been all too eager to listen to the demands of private investors to prepare the LRT and MRT to private takeover. He cited that Aquino’s vision of the MRT and the LRT is not that of serving the riding public but delivering it on a silver platter for the salivating private businessmen. He also said that aside from the US$1.1B offer by Manny Pangilinan, other known elite investors close to the president are itching to take over the ownership of the LRT and MRT such as Lopez, Ayala, Sy and his very own Cojuangco clan.

“Ultimately, the government is now selling the MRT and LRT to the highest and most favored bidder. That is exactly the reason why they are raising the fares to start the commodification of the light rail system – assigning market value to something which is supposed to be a government service.”

Malunes also lambasted what he called Malacanang’s insensitivity and ignorance in imposing back-to-back fare and price hikes in 2011 while the poor remain destitute to low wages. “The fare hike which will be implemented this March comes on top of the multipie increases in tolls, oil prices, prime commodities.

RILES Network brought the signatures they gathered from the commuters in the LRT and MRT since last year. They submitted their position papers to the public consultations expressing their vehement opposition to the fare hike. They vowed to continue their campaign after the public consultations to explain to the public how the government has been trying to evade its duty to provide services while Aquino pleasures himself with luxuries of his personal wealth.